PORT TOWNSEND — Sitting in a room in The Palace Hotel on Saturday night, Stephanie Davisson, 44, of Des Moines and two other people placed their fingers on a pointer resting on a “talking board,” which is similar to a Ouija board.
“We invite all good spirits to come and talk to us,” Davisson said.
The pointer began moving, indicating that a spirit named Betty who died at the age of 39 was present.
Davisson and her friends asked Betty questions and received some vague answers.
They then said goodbye.
On another attempt, the pointer began spiraling around the board in a frenzy.
Davisson said the room became increasingly tense.
The spirit indicated his name started with F, but would give no further details.
Davisson and her friends asked him if he was there to communicate, and the pointer quickly moved to the word “No.”
With that, they expelled F from the room, not interested in hosting a spirit who did not want to talk to them.
Although these types of events might terrify your average hotel guest, Davisson wasn’t scared.
She was part of the third annual Ghost Hunters Conference held last weekend by Amateur Ghost Hunters Of Seattle Tacoma — or AGHOST.
She was among more than 85 paranormal enthusiasts and ghost-curious onlookers, and an unknown number of ghosts, at the conference, which offered an array of activities in notoriously haunted Port Townsend.
“This was the first time we’ve had a conference outside of Seattle,” said Joe Teeples, AGHOST vice president.
“When we looked around for a place, we found Port Townsend and said, ‘Wow, this is a pretty spooky place.”‘
Conference attendees filled The Palace Hotel, 1004 Water St., and Manresa Castle, at Seventh and Sheridan streets, over the weekend.
Both hotels are said to be haunted.
